Packaging boxes conventionally used by workers, particularly butchers, pastry chefs and candy makers, are generally of cardboard in the form of a blank that is cut out, folded and glued. These conventional boxes permit protection of the product which has been selected by the vendor on a shelf or in a showcase and then placed in the package, which can easily be decorated by printing and personalization with the name of the worker. Such a box, which gives the image of tradition and quality of workmanship, is not usable in industry and the distribution of foodstuffs because of its cost to make and fill. It suffers moreover from the major drawback of not permitting the contained food product to be seen.
To overcome this last drawback, there have been developed cardboard boxes to which is applied a transparent cover or film or in which the walls are provided with openings closed by a transparent or translucent film.
There have also been proposed packaging boxes entirely in transparent or translucent material, which permits complete and direct viewing of the product contained therein. In this case, there are conventionally used boxes constituting a single piece of thermoformed plastic material. However, these boxes are inappropriate for high grade contents, such as for example pastries, because of their relatively poor and unworthy appearance.
There are also known, from French patent application 95-13782, packaging boxes of the type comprising a bottom, a surround and a cover articulated on said surround, the cover and the bottom being in the form of a triptych comprising two surfaces each articulated to one connecting member and said surfaces comprising members for abutment against the internal and/or external periphery of the respective edge of said surround, separate closure means being integrated in the triptych and/or in the surround or being provided after closure of the box.
However, the setting up of the box from a base and cover in the form of a triptych is relatively complicated.